Airship mooring-mast gear



Nov. 11, 1930. A HALL-BROWN ET AL 1,781,010

AIRSHIP MOORING MAST GEAR Filed N09. 26, 1927 s sheets-sheet 1l NOV. 11, 1930. A, HALLBROWN`ET AL 1,781,010

AIRSHIP MOORING MAST GEAR Filed Nov. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N ENTOR BY 9b ATTORNEYS Nov. ll, 1930.

AIRSHIP MOORING MAST GEAR Filed Nov. 26, 1927 Fig: 7..

s Sheets-sheet 3 INVE TO S A. HALL-BROWN ET AL 1,781,010

Patented .Novi 11,1930 v UNITED STATES ARCHIBALD HALL-BROWN, OF PURLY, AND EDWIN WALTER JONES, OF LINCOLN, l.

PATENT oFFlcE A vENG-LAND, ASSIGNORS TO -THE'BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW

JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY Masini Moderne-MAST GEAR.

Application filed November 26, 1927,4Seria1 No. 235,850, and in Great Britain December 4, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in airship mooring masts and more particularly to improvements in mooring masts of the type comprising telescopically moving elements of which the outer element is mounted in gimbals. I

An object of the invention is to provide a mooring mast of this type which will providev a variable recoil resistance with controllable terminal resistance as the airship is being moored.

A further object is to provide self centering means for the mast.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

In accordance'with a principal feature of the present invention the inner element or tube of the mast is formed with a piston movable in the outer element or tube as a cylinder and the upward and downward movement and the recoil of the inner tube due to yawing and other movement of the airship is controlled by difference in pressure of fluid pressure medium supplied above and/or below the piston. The pressure medium employed maybe gaseous e. g. air, or liquid e. g. oil or water.- l

In accordance with a further feature. of the invention the downward movement of the inner tube is used to actuate the mast centering means.

Another further feature consists in the arrangement of the pulleys over which the main Y haul rope is passed in mooring the airship such that the swinging of the mast produces no substantial alteration in length of such main haul rope. A still further feature' resides in the provision of locking means for locking the mast in centered position.

The invention is illustrated by way of errample in the accompanying drawings, in which v f Fig. lis a vertical section through a` tower head andmooriiig lmast showing one formQo mooring mast constructed iii accordance with the invention and arranged for pneumatic mast in centered position.

'I igs.` 2,3 and 4 are detail views to a larger scale of various arrangements of the locklng control and showing means for locking the Fig. 5 is aside elevationof the tower head drawings, the outer tube l of the mooring mast is sup orted in gimbals 1 in the usual nected to the tower structure 3. tube 4, which is formed with a piston 4iL working in the outer tube l as a cylinder, is itted at itsouter end with the usual arrangement of cup 4b to receive the nose of the airship .manner in t e frame 2 which is rigidly con- The inner and is provided at its inner or lower end with an extension or tail rod 5 passing through a gland or stuffing box 6 and having at its lower extremity a cushioning device or spring 7 interposed between a shoulder on the tail rod and a crosshead 8 which is carried by the latter. Thecrosshead 8 is fitted with pulleys 9 hinged thereto and over which pass ropes l() anchored at one end suitably to the outer tube at points spaced around the tube and connected at the other end to centering crossheads (not shown) of known construction symmetricallyl arranged with respect to the mast and slidable in vertical guides (not shown) in .thel tower supporting structure. Such crossheads are equipped in known man- 11er with shock absorbing springs compressible by the crossheads when in, their highest position and with abutments.

Associated with the piston rod 4 and cylinder 1 are high and lower pressure air reser.-

voirs or hydraulic accumulators 20 and. 21 which arev connected with a cylinder above and y beneath the piston 4a by means of flexible or vwalking pipes 22. The supply'of` vico . position are controlled by a control Valve located in a central cabinet`23a.

The means for locking the mast in centered -position comprises a spigot member 17a provided on the tailrod 5 and a socket member 17 mounted on a piston 18 movable within a cylinder' 19 carried by the mast supporting structure, the socket 17 being movable into engagement with the spigot member 17a by the supply of pressure medium to the cylinder 19 The spigot 17 a and cylinder 19 are formed with a central bore through which the airship mooring rope is passed when the airship is moored to the mast.

The main haul rope 13 which passes down through the hollow piston rod 4 and extensionl or. tail rod 5 and is passed around a large pulley 13 supported in a bracket at thelower end of the mast lis passed .thence around pulleys 14, 15 and 16 and thence to the ground. The pulley 14 is mountedfon the one gimbal frame and the pulley 16 on the second gi-mbal frame.` As a result of this arrangement of the rope guides 14 and 16, the swinging movement of the mast does not cause any pulling action on the main haul `rope.

In the modified form of locking means shown in Fig.'2, the coned spigot 17 l is carried by an extension of the crosshead 8 and the socket or cup 17 is movable vinto engagement therewith in the manner described with reference to Fig. 1,

The locking means shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but the cup or socket member 17 is stationaryv and the spigot member movesl into contact therewith. The locking means shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 but the cup or socket member 17 is, in this instance, stationary.

Assuming the mast is in the position taken` Y air supplied attwo diiferent pressures' from when the airship is moored, iiuid pressure medium is admitted between the piston 4a and the 'bottom of the outer tube or cylinder 1. As the piston 4a rises, the spigot 17a on tail rod 5 releases itself from the socket 17 and the `concomitant upward movement of V`the crosshead -8 releases the centering ropes l() until at a position approximately half way of the stroke of the piston, the swinging system is free to move without constraint of the centering gear. As the piston 4a moves upward in the oute 'tube or cylinder, the fluid pressure medium is exhausted from the upper side of the cylinder andthe piston in the out position is free to 'be pulled over to any angle required by the line of approach of the airship.

It'v being assumed that the pull of the airship has caused the swinging system to take up a position at anv angle to the vvertical defined by the pull,'the mooring operations proceed as follows-:-

The main haul rope is wound in until the airship cone is caused to enter the cup 4b at the being of course permitted to take place.

`Where a hydraulic medium is used for operation of the mast, increased flexibility of recoil may be obtained by providing within the hydraulic accumulator a pneumatic dash pot device supplied .with air at any desired pres! sure, the dash pot being so disposed as to interpose a cushion of air between the accumulator weights and the piston operated by the fluid` `discharge from theV cylinder of the swinging system on the down stroke.

.lVhen the piston 4a has moved a sulicient distance downwards to engage, through the .medium of its tail rod or extension 5 and sprlngs or cushioning devlce 7, the crosshead 8, its motion is transmitted by the crosshead to the centering ropes 1() and the swinging system is then constrained by thecentering ropes 10 passing over the pulleys 9 into the central vertical position'. 4the centering ropes 10 causes the centering crossheads to rise uptil they meet the Vabut- I,ments between which, and the centeringk crossheads, springs or other cushioning devices 7 will normally be interposed. l

lVhenl the downward motion of piston 4a acting through the interposed crosshead 8, centering ropes 10 and pulley 9, has caused the system to take up a vertical central posivtion, continued motion downwards lof the tail rod or extension piece brings the spigot end of the tail rod 5 into engagement with l the cup or socket 17. The fluid pressure medium preferred is reservoirs 20 and 21. As an example, the air pressure in hzigh pressure reservoir 20 may- The movement of voir a pressure suilicient to push the-piston outwards and to give a recoil resistance to the l piston of any desired amount. If a rapidly increasing recoil resistance is required, a nonreturnvalve (not shown). at the lower end of the cylinder or outer tube 1 is allowed to operate, but if a gradual recoil resistance be required, then the non-return valve is held off its seat inV suitable manner and the low pressure reservoir then becomes a portion of the clearance space below the piston 4a in the working cylinder 1.

The use of diiering pressures following advantages On the upstroke of piston 4a in the outer of air has the tube or cylinder 1, only {suiiicient pressure is necessary to overcounter-balance the weight f of the piston rod 4 and its accessories. On

abutments 25.

the downward stroke of piston 4a in cylinder. 1,.air at higher pressure is supplied, acting against the resistance of the upward pull of the airship, and at approximately midway of its stroke against the resistance of the system of centering.

f A cushioning eiect to the pumping motion of the ships nose is also' given in a useful manner by the 'use of the low pressure below the piston. The employment of high pressure air for checking downward motion would increase the resistance to downward motion too rapidly. This will be clear from a consideration of the inclination of an air pressure curve commencing with say 25 lbs. per square inch-Which is a pressure ofthe order which we propose to employ-as `;com

' pared with an initial pressure of say 100 lbs.

per square inch and the terminal pressure resultant therefrom. t

Furthermore, the use of relatively low pressure air from outward motion, has the advantage that the low pressure reservoir canbe supplied with pressure medium by a reducing valve between it land the high pressure reservoir. 4 0 I In the construction shown in Figs. and 6, the inner tube 4 is provided at its .inner or lower'end with an extension or tail rod 31` passing through a gland or stuffing box .6 and having at its lower extremity a cushioning device or spring 32 interposed between it and a crosshead 33 which is movable in guides 34 on the outer tube. The crosshead 33 is fitted with pulleys 9 over which pass ro es 10 anchored oulter tube at points spaced around the tube and connected at t'he 'other end to 'centering crossheads 11 of knownA construction, symmetrically arranged with respect to thef mast and slidable in vertical guides 11a in the tower supporting structure. Such crossheads 11 are equipped with shock absorbing springs 12, compressible by the crossheads when in their highest position, and with The supply of fluid pressure medium above and below the piston and the supply of pressure medium to thel means for lcckingthe mast in centered position are controlled by a control valve or control valves- 22a, 22b located in a control cabinet or cabinets 23a,

3b 2 The means for locking the mast in centered position comprises a socket member 35 prof on an extension of the outer tube and a vided spigot member 36 mounted on a piston 37 movable within a cylinder 38 carried by the mast supporting structure, the spigot 36 being movable into engagement with the socket to the cylinder 38.

at one end suitably "to the4 member 35 by the supply of pressure medium With the piston 4 and the tail rod 31 in the lowest or innermost position shown, the spring 32 will be compressed between the tail As the piston 4 rises, the crosshead 33 is caused to rise lalso in its guides by the pull of the ropes 10 owing to the weight and thrust of the springs 12 and of the centering crossheads 11. The crosshead '33 rises until it meets an abutment 24'on the outer tube (corresponding to the` position of pulley 9 indicated in dotted lines) at which time the crossheads 11 are sufficiently far from their abutments 25 to allow the desired swinging movement ofthe mast. p

When the piston hasbeen drawn down by the amount of free recoil, which normally will be half the full stroke of the piston, the extension or tail rod 31 engages through the medium of spring 32 with the crosshead 33 andpushes the latter downwards and this movement ofl the crosshead 33, transmitted through pulleys 9 and ropes 10, causes the crossheads V11 to rise and pulls the mooring mast into the central or mooring position. During this operation, the vcentering crossheads 1 1 are gradually lifted until they engage through the medium of springs 12 with their abutments 2.5. The locking spigot 36 is then moved into engagement'with the socket 35 and the mast locked in centered position.

In the construction of mooring mast shown in Figui' which is similar to that shown in Fig. 1, the crosshead 8 is movable on the tail rod or extension 5 and there is provided, in

association with the moving crosshead 8, a

piston 2671 working in a cylinder 27 connected by a pipe 28 with a ort 29 in the main cyliiider 1, the supply o pressure fluid to the cylinder 27 and the consequent centering movement of the crosshead 8 by the piston 26a associated therewith, being permitted on thev said elements to receive a part" of anairship,

and fluid pressure means causing relative movement between said elements.

2. An airship mooring mastA comprising a cylinder anda piston movably mounted thererod and the crosshead 33. At the same time i ict isty

in, means on the piston rod projecting from 1 the cylinder and adapted to receive a part of an airship, and fluid pressure means adapted to exert ypressure above and below said piston.

3. An airship mooring mast comprising a cylinder and a piston movably mounted therein, means on the piston rod projecting from the cylinder and adapted to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means adapted to exert pressure above and below said piston, and a haul rope passing through said cylinder.

4. An airship mooring mast comprising a cylinder and a piston movably mounted therein, means 011 the piston rod projecting from the cylinder and adapted to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means adapted to exert pressure above andbelow said piston, a haul rope passing through said cylinder, gimbals supporting said cylinder and consisting of two gimbal frames, and pulleys mounted on each of said frames over which said haul rope passes.

5. An airship mooring lmast comprising two telescoping elements, means on one of said elements to receive a part of an airship,

fluid pressure means causing relative movement between sald elements, a tail rod on said f inner element, Aa crossheadslidably mounted thereon and adapted to be displaced by movement thereof, mast centering pulleys lon said crosshead, and ropes connected tosaid outer element and running over said pulleys.

6:` An airship mooring mast comprising two telescoping elements, means on one of said elements to receive a part of an airship fluid pressure means causing relative movement between said elements,va tail rod on said inner. element,a crosshead slidably mounted thereon and adapted to be displaced by movement thereof, mast centering pulleys on said crosshead, ropes connected to said outer element and running over said pulleys, a shoulder on said tail rod, and a spring disposedbetweenv said shoulder and said crosshead.

7 An airship mooring mast comprising two telescoping elements, means on one of said elements to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means causing relative movement between said elements, a tail rod on said .inner element, acrosshead slidably mounted thereon and adapted to be displaced by movement thereof, mast centering pulleys on said crosshead, ropes connected to said outer element and running over said pulleys, a piston engaging said crosshead, and fluid pressure meansv adapted to actuate said piston.

8. An airship mooring mast comprising two telescoping elements, means on one of said elements to receive a part of an airship', fluid pressure means causing relative movement between said elements, a tail rod on said inner element, a crosshead slidably mounted thereon and adapted to be-displaced by movement thereof, mast centering pulleys on said .to the fluid pressure means for actuating said inner element.

9. An airship mooring mast comprising two telescoping elements, means on one of said elements to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means causing relative movement between said elements, means for centering said mast, and means for locking the mast in centered position.

10. An airship mooring mast comprising a cylinder and a piston movably mounted therein, means on the piston rod projecting from the cylinder and adapted to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means adapted to exert pressure above and below said piston, a tail rod on said piston, a socket in which the end of said tail rod is adapted to be received, and means for centering the mast and bringing saidtail rod into said socket to hold the mast in centered position.

11. An airship mooring mast comprising a cylinder and a piston movably mounted therein, means on the piston. rod projecting from the cylinder and adapted to receive a part of an airship, fluid pressure means adapted to exert pressure above and below said piston, a tail rod on said piston, a socket in which the end of said tail rod is adapted to be're/ceived, means for centering the mast and bringing said tail rod into said socket to hold the mast in centered position,v and fluid pressure means to bring said socket into engagement with the end of said tail rod.

12. A mooring mast comprising 1a cylindernmounted on gimbals, a piston disposed in said cylinder and having a piston rod eX- tending from one end thereof and a. tail rod from the other end thereof, fluid pressure means to operate said piston, means on the end of said piston rod to receive a part lmounted on gimbals, a piston disposed in said cylinder and having a. piston rod eX- tending from one end thereof and a tail rod j from the other end thereof, fluid pressure means to operate said piston, means on the end of said piston rod to receive a part of an airship, a haul rope passing through said .piston rod, piston and tail rod, and pulleys on said gimbals over which said haul rope passes.

14. A mooring mast comprising a cylinder I mounted on lgimbals, a piston disposed in said cylinder and having a piston rod ex tending from one end thereof and a tail rod from'the other end thereof, fluid pressure means to operate said piston, means on the end of said piston rod'to receive a part of an airship, a haul rope passing through said piston rod, piston in said cylinder and having and tail rod, means for centering said mast, and means for locking said mast in centered position.

15. A .mooring mast comprising a cylinder mounted on gimbals, a piston disposed a piston rod extending from one end thereof and a tail rod from the other end thereof, meanson the piece to hold it in desired said mast, means y ytered position comprising a piston movable end o said piston rod to receive a part of an airship, a haul rope passing through'said piston rod, piston and tail rod, means for centering said mast, and means for locking said mast in centered position, said locking means comprisinga piston having a socket to receive the end of said tail rod.

16. An airship mooring mast comprising two telesooping. lements movable with respect to each other, means on the inner element to receive. a part of. an airship, means to cause relative movement between said elements, gimbals' supporting said outer ele ment and consisting of two gimbal frames,

pulleys mounted on each ofisaid frames,l

and a haul rope running over said pulleys and adapted to be connected to said lairship.

17. A,mooring mast comprising a cylinder mounted on gimbals, a piston disposed in saidcylinder and having a piston rod extending from one end thereof, and a tail rod from the other end thereof, iuid pressure means to operate said piston, means A0n the -end of said piston rod to receive'a part of an airship, and means to engage said tail position.

18. A mooring mast comprising a cylinder mounted on gimbals, a piston disposed inv said cylinder and having a piston rod extending from one end thereof anda tail rod from the other end thereof, fluid pressure means to operate said piston, means on the end of said piston rod to receive apart of an 'airship, means to engage said tail piece to hold it in desired position, a plurality of pulleys on said tail piece, a corresponding number of centering crossheads, and ropes connecting saidI crossheads to saidcylinder and running over`said' pulleys.

19. A mooring mast mounted on gimbals and comprising a to hold the mast in cen-t .into and out of engagement with said tail rod, and f iuid pressure means piston.

EDWINV WALTER JONES.

tail rod, means t-o centerto operate said ARCHIBALD HALL-BROWN.A H 

